Murray State University Athletics
'Breds Need 13 Innings To Advance To Championship Roud Of OVC Tourney
5/23/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
For the first time since 1985, the Murray State Thoroughbreds will play in the championship round of the Ohio Valley Conference Championship Tournament after beating a staunch Eastern Illinois team 6-4 in 13 innings tonight.
Murray State (23-29) will play Eastern Kentucky (24-29) in an effort to win its first tournament title since 1979. Already shouldered with one loss in the double-elimination tournament, the 'Breds must win two games tomorrow (Saturday) at Brooks Stadium in Paducah, Ky. The first game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m., with a second game (if necessary) to follow. The Colonels have not yet lost a game in the tournament.
In that 1985 tournament, it was EKU who came out of the losers' bracket to beat MSU twice, 11-7 and 19-18 in Morehead, Ky., to win the tournament title. This year, it is the Thoroughbreds who are coming out of the losers' bracket to claim the trophy as well as the automatic berth into the NCAA Championship.
In its elimination game tonight, Murray State faced a staunch Eastern Illinois team that had just lost an 8-7 game to Eastern Kentucky.
The 'Breds took an early lead, as Matt Rebout popped a solo home run to lead off the second inning, his team-leading 10th of the season, to give MSU a 1-0 lead.
In the third inning, Garner Byars drew a two-out walk, and Brett McCutchan belted a double down the right-field line to score Byars. Rebout hit a single through the right side to score McCutchan and give Murray State a 3-0 lead.
In the sixth inning, the Panthers (26-31) got on the board, as Bret Pignatiello led off with a solo shot to narrow the MSU lead to 3-1.
The 'Breds responded in the eighth inning when Rebout hit a one-out single and Derrick Newton pinch-ran for him. Geoff Kirksey slapped a double to right-center, scoring Newton from first to put Murray State ahead 4-1.
Trouble began in the bottom of the ninth, as Eastern Illinois plated three runs when Nolan Cork hit a one-out double and went to third on a single by Danny Jordan. Pete Stone singled in Cork, moving Jordan to third, and MSU pitcher Greg Gray was called for a balk, scoring Jordan. Chris Uhle then hit a two-out single to score Stone, tying the game at 4-4.
EIU was able to coax a hit in the 10th inning and one in the 12th, while Murray State threatened in the 11th inning , leaving two runners on base.
In the top of the 13th inning, Alex Stewart led off with a double to left-center, and Ronnie Seets followed suit with a double of his own, scoring Stewart and breaking the tie. Dan McAleavy reached base on a throwing error, scoring Seets and giving Murray State a 6-4 lead.
Freshman pitcher Ian Moore got his first two batters of the 13th to fly out, walked Cork, then got Jordan to hit a popup to first base for the final out.
Bart Peach started on the mound for Murray State and pitched a gem, allowing one run on four hits, striking out eight and walking two in seven innings, the longest and best outing for him this season.
"You can go up and down the dugout and find guys who have stepped up their play over the last two days, especially today," said MSU head coach Mike Thieke. "Bart Peach stepped up and really did a great job of pitching. He wasn't really overpowering, but he had something that Eastern Illinois could not conquer."
Gordon Dugan came on in the eighth and threw two strikeouts before being relieved by Gray. Gray allowed three runs on four hits, striking out one in one inning.
Moore (1-0) picked up his first collegiate win, allowing two hits, striking out four and walking one in 4-1/3 innings of work.
"Ian stepped it up, but this has been coming for the last two or three weeks," Thieke said. "Tonight, he really picked it up, and he will be a tremendous Division I pitcher for us in years to come."
Rebout went 3-for-4 with a home run and two runs batted in for the 'Breds, while MSU had doubles from McCutchan, Kirksey, Stewart and Seets.
"(EIU pitcher Matt Tyson) was just mowing our guys down; we couldn't do anything," Thieke said. "Stewart stepped up and puts one in the gap for a double, and we told Ronnie (Seets) that he was not bunting, that we would get around that, and he puts one in the gap to score Stewart. J.D. Merritt made some great plays in right field, saving us, really, but we never took ourselves out of this game."
